Call for Public Comment on Skate Management in Alaska's EEZ

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted and Amendment (104) to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). Amendment 104, if approved, would designate six areas of skate egg concentrations, or skate nurseries, as Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) in the BSAI.

Photo Credit: NMFS (NOAA)
Skate egg cases provide protection
against the elements as
young skates develop.

HAPC are geographic sites within Essential Fish Habitats (EFH) for federally managed species. They are considered areas of particular importance that may require additional protection from the adverse effects of fishing. A HAPC must be specific sites that provide uncommon habitat (are rare), and must meet one of three considerations; 1) provide important ecological function, 2) be sensitive to human-induced degradation, 3) be stressed by developmental activities.

Skates are a slow growing, late to mature, species, that produce relatively few young. In a reproductive season skates will deposit several egg cases on a generally soft substrate in small distinct sites. At these sites several year classes and species of skates may be present. This makes them vulnerable to fishing activities, especially those that disturb the sea floor.

Photo Credit: NMFS (NOAA)
Skate at Stage 5 of its
life cycle. 

In 2010, the Council received a proposal from NMF's Alaska Fisheries Science Center to designate several areas of skate nurseries as HAPC in the BSAI. The Council reviewed these areas, in 2011 and 2012, and also considered possible regulations that would limit fishing activities within these proposed areas. Then in February of 2013, the Council adopted Amendment 104 to the FMP, which would designate six areas of relatively high concentrations of skate eggs as HAPC. They determined that these sites, in the eastern Bering Sea, meet the definition of HAPC as they are rare and provide and important ecological function. However, the Council did not recommend increased fishing regulations for these areas, stating that the type of fishing gear used in these proposed areas is expected to have minimal impact on skate habitat. Instead, the Council has recommended that NMFS monitor the HAPC sites for changes in skate egg density and other potential effects of fishing.

The six proposed sites encompass 82 square nautical miles of habitat, less than 0.1% of the BSAI. They contain unique abiotic features (e.g. substrate composition) that serve as important spawning and developmental areas for certain skate species.

Public comments on the proposed Amendment 104 are being solicited until 5pm (Alaska local time) on December 8th, 2014.

For more information: Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Skates Management in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area; Habitat Areas of Particular Concern